Wednesday Wisdom

Magick in the “witchy” sense is the Art & Science of harnessing and manipulating internal and external energies in order to create change. This change may be in ourselves, those around us, our environment, or even our world. How does this relate to art? Well, if you have ever been moved by a painting, a song, a poem, a film, or a photograph you have experienced exactly what I’m talking about.

Films, photographs, paintings, et al. have the ability to change our moods, evoke strong emotions, bring back memories, remind us of our dreams, inspire us…and even change our minds. These pieces are brought about by artists who tap into a source of energy deep within them to craft and create these images, words, and sounds. In doing so, they hope their creations will touch the lives of others…but, the act of creating their works undoubtedly creates change within the artist themselves.

The intent to express oneself can often be compulsory – it MUST be done. This unpredictable drive from within to make ones voice be heard is, at least in my experience, impossible to ignore. While in the midst of creating, we aren’t always sure what it is that needs to be expressed until the work is finished, we take a step back and examine the finished product. I personally feel as if a weight has been lifted when I finish a piece (whether it be a painting, a photograph, a spell, or a ritual). I have been transformed simply by getting it all out…whatever “it” happens to be.

If a piece moves someone other than those who create it? Well, that’s the best kind of magick.

I found a quote from a writer that pretty much sums up all that I’ve been rambling on about:

I believe that magic is art, and that art, whether that be music, writing, sculpture, or any other form, is literally magic. Art is, like magic, the science of manipulating symbols, words or images, to achieve changes in consciousness… Indeed to cast a spell is simply to spell, to manipulate words, to change peoples consciousness, and this is why I believe that an artist or writer is the closest thing in the contemporary world to a shaman.” Alan Moore

Yesterday was Election Day here in the U.S., not a Presidential year, but there were LOADS of local elections held nationwide. Gubernatorial races, State House & Senate races, Mayoral races, as well a plethora of other small governmental committee, board and Judicial races. These types of election years don’t usually garner lots of media coverage, but this year? These – normally viewed by the general population as “minor” elections – have brought about some startlingly positive results (In my oh so very liberal opinion).

I woke up this morning to find that several local area GOP incumbents have been ousted by a Democrat. While NYS as a whole is viewed as a “Blue State”, the county in which I reside is generally VERY “Red” (Right-wingers everywhere, y’all!), so this was some pretty exciting news!

This, coupled with the news of key Dem wins elsewhere:

Ralph Northam (D, VA) and Phil Murphy (D, NJ) each won Gubernatorial races against the current GOP Lt. Governors of their respective states.

Philadelphia, PA elected liberal Democrat Larry Krasner as their new District Attorney who has promised to end mass incarceration and the death penalty. (Go, Larry!!)

The cherry on top: In Virginia, yes Virginia, Danica Roem (D) defeated Del. Robert Marshall (R) in VA’s 13th district becoming the first openly Transgender candidate to the state House of Delegates – she will also be the first Transgender candidate to be elected and seated on ANY state legislature! (You go, girl!)

Now that I’ve rambled on about elections you’re probably bored to tears, but hear’s where this all got goofy with pop-culture wisdom in my little Pixie brain. As I read the news of these remarkable victories across the nation I started to hear George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” in my head. Confused?? Don’t be! Lemme ‘splain.

This wonderfully deep song by the late and exquisitely talented crooner is about him reclaiming his identity and reveling in the joy that he felt in finding and being his true self. In my mind, that is what’s happening with these elections. We are reclaiming our national identity as one of diversity, one that helps its citizenry, one that looks out for the health of future generations and our planet.

Freedom! is the battle cry of the Democrat, the Liberal, as well as the Republican who is sick of having their party’s ideals distorted and eclipsed by an overwhelmingly self-serving demagogue.

I think there’s something you should knowI think it’s time I stopped the showThere’s something deep inside of meThere’s someone I forgot to be”

Life is about “Give and take”, you cannot keep taking from We the People and expect we won’t fight back. Our country was built on the ideas of lifting people up to be able to fulfill their dreams, not tax them into obscurity and use them as virtual slave labor to help the rich get richer. So, let’s keep this up people. The utterly important Congressional Mid-Term elections are next year. It’s time to stop our nation’s descent into the past. Keep fighting the good fight, and we have a real chance at moving ahead to a brighter future.

Freedom! Freedom! (oh freedom)Freedom! (my freedom)You’ve gotta give for what you take Freedom! (hold on to my freedom)Freedom! Freedom! (my freedom)You’ve gotta give for what you take”

So, sit back, relax, and listen to the awesomeness that was the lovely George Michael.

Today is November 1st. Many people are either at work, running errands, or checking off things on a very long To-Do list – but not me. After a busy day at work and a very late night at our coven’s Samhain ritual, I am taking a day to do a whole lot of NOTHING!

A long time ago, I read something Thich Nhat Hanh said:

We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don’t allow our bodies to heal, and we don’t allow our minds and hearts to heal.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

I didn’t always understand what he meant. I mean, resting and relaxing are often equated with laziness – and who the hell wants to be thought of as lazy, right?? Well, I no longer give a shit about that. lol I know that I do what I can do on any given day. I also know that there are days…far more than there should be, when I push myself past the limits that my mind, body, and/or spirit have imposed on me. When I exceed those limits for too long, I pay the consequences with sore muscles, achy joints, headaches, fatigue, and even illness.

People do not run on batteries that last as long as the ones represented by a long-eared drumming mascot are purported to. If we live life as though we do, we will burn out fast. We need to live as though we run on rechargeable batteries…because, essentially, we do. We need to make sure we carve out time for physical, mental, and emotional respites in order to refill our energetic coffers. This can be done through meditation, sleeping in, an at-home “spa day”, a movie night with close friends – or you can do what I’m doing today, sit on the couch in your PJs and binge watch Stranger Things.

Alrighty folks, I’ve used up all my allotted brainy thinks for the day. lol Heading back to my binge fest! 😉

It has been a very long time since I’ve posted. I’d like to say that it’s because I’ve been so fabulously busy that I just couldn’t spare a moment to do so…but, that wouldn’t be true. There were Winters plagued with seasonal depression, the Presidential campaigns/election/current term (UGHHHH!!!), as well as some minor illnesses, but it wasn’t all bad.

In the aftermath of Bowie’s death I discovered – with the help of my 2 friends who make up our trio we call the “Bowie Girls” – that I have a love of painting. Much of my time has been devoted to expressing myself in this way, along with my photography. That, coupled with my family, work, and coven duties left me a little tapped out…I just didn’t have any oomph left for writing. (I also have a new grandson! So now there’s TWO grand-kids to amuse me! lol).

In any case, I’m being pulled back into this Pixilated world of mine. I’m not really sure what I’ll be musing about, but there’s sure to be a resurgence of Foresight Friday and Wednesday Wisdom. Hopefully, you’re not too peeved at me for my absence, I promise I’ll make it up to you.

I’ll be back Friday with some divination for y’all, in the meantime I’ll leave you with a quote to chew on.

Even your smallest action can change the world for the better.In a gentle way, you can shake the world. – Mahatma Gandhi

Feel free to comment with any small actions you think we can make to shake things up for the better.

Every once in a while, life and its events get the better of us. Sometimes we let ourselves get bogged down in the stress of work and tasks that we forget to have fun. Sometimes things in our relationships don’t go as we’d hoped. Sometimes these things not only make us a little cranky…but we may also become withdrawn…or forget our dreams, how to relax & have fun…or even feel our self-worth slipping away.

When all this happens, we lose our spark. That little twinkle in our eye that tells the world we’re ready to take it on, and that it better watch out, because you’ve got some mischief up your sleeve!

It can be hard to get it back, that lovely little glint…but we can get it back. It could be as simple as hearing the right song, or string of songs, on the radio (or whatever musical device you happen to be listening to). It could be taking a few days to reconnect with old friends. It could just be getting away for a couple hours of peace and quiet so you can actually have an uninterrupted thought. A movie line, a song lyric, an incredibly astute comment by…anyone.

It can happen in many ways, sometimes we seek it out, other times it just smacks us upside the head and lets us know it’s back. lol Whatever the case, if that sparkle shows up, you’d better hang on to that sucker! That spark is what helps us to feel ALIVE! It’s what helps us find the humor in even the darkest of situations. It’s what attracts Joy into our lives.

My sparkle ran away for a few days…partly because I had to say farewell to someone I’d prefer was physically in my proximity on a day to day basis (aka: Bestest Friend in All the Land), partly due to being deficient in Vitamin D. I found it today. I upped my vitamin D, heard some of my jams on the way to work, and realized that he may be far away, but he’s always with me (So close, no matter how far…). Besides, he just recently got his own sparkle back…and remembering the glint reappearing in the eyes of my personal scoundrel (It’s a term of endearment, promise, lol) well, it made me smile. I was being a little selfish…a bit of a pouty pixie, to be honest, and I had to remind myself that everything isn’t about me.

So, if your life has gotten to be a little lackluster, start trying to see if you can find your sparkle. Trust me, it will make a WORLD of difference. ?

As we head into Turkey Day here in the U.S. I am swamped with meal preparations, and last minute things to do around the house. My Best Friend in All the Land will be driving into town to share in the festivities, and a couple other dear friends shall be bouncing in as well (although their trek is a mere 10 minutes to his 6 hours…but I digress). As things are quite hectic I have just this simple message from our 16th President to share with you today…well, as he was depicted in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but still, it’s good advice.

I wish everyone a safe and Happy Day. Time for this Grateful Pixie to open some wine!

Everyone is aware of the multiple attacks that happened in Paris this past week. The saddest part is that this was not the only horrific act of violence to occur. Two suicide bombers walked into a Beirut marketplace a day before the Paris attacks, which resulted in 44 dead and 200+ injured. Many deaths in the African villages of Ndassima & Mala (as part of ongoing religious violence) took place Monday. Tuesday saw dozens killed in a bombing in Nigeria, as well as a Russian jet destroyed by a bomb over Egypt. Add to that the seemingly endless string of fatal incidents here in the U.S. – whether they be incidents against law enforcement…by law enforcement…or yet another mass shooting.

The World as a whole is under siege by these and other assaults. This fire of violence has only been fueled by the irrational, fear & hate filled reactions by those who’ve heard of them. The masses are rejecting the idea of taking in Syrian refugees for fear that they will be terrorists. The majority of comments I have seen on social media have been disappointing to say the least. Many have come from our pool of G.O.P. presidential…candidates, but the number from regular everyday folks of all walks of life and faiths (including pagans) is overwhelming.

What people in this country seem to be forgetting is that refusing these refugees dishonors the values of this country. The Statue of Liberty tells us this herself.

It is up to us to end the violence. Each and every one of us, as individuals, holds some level of responsibility on the journey to world peace. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was asked about his view of the Paris attacks. He commented on the levels of violence and bloodshed of the 20th century and concluded that this century’s violence is in effect a spill-over of those acts. So, what should we do? His Holiness says:

“People want to lead a peaceful lives. The terrorists are short-sighted, and this is one of the causes of rampant suicide bombings. We cannot solve this problem only through prayers. I am a Buddhist and I believe in praying. But humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it. It is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place.

We need a systematic approach to foster humanistic values, of oneness and harmony. If we start doing it now, there is hope that this century will be different from the previous one. It is in everybody’s interest. So let us work for peace within our families and society, and not expect help from God, Buddha or the governments.”

I think that’s some pretty good advice. We need to work for peace, and we need to start at home, and EXTEND that spirit of peace beyond that of our friends and family. Rain compassion down on those who need it. Do something to help someone in need. Let go of any attitudes that make you question whether or not someone in need “deserves” help…just help.

Forget about the concepts of “Us” and “Them” for we are all one. “Imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. Imagine all the people living life in peace…”

I may be a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. So let’s all Imagine, and Give Peace a Chance.

If any of you are like me, then you’ve been looked at as kind of an oddball for most of your life. It hasn’t been an unpleasant thing (most of the time). My nearest and dearest family, friends, and co-workers have lovingly referred to me as weird, odd, goofy, unique, bonkers, crazy, unusual, etc., etc.. I don’t mind, because they’re entirely correct! LOL I’ve always had a different way of looking at things, and that just means that life with me is anything but boring. 😉

It also means that I’ve had more than one chance to reenact this scene from The Craft:

Nancy and the girls pushed the boundaries of weirdness til they burst, but being weird in and of itself is nothing to be ashamed of. There’s a quote I recently came across that perfectly describes why that is so.

So go ahead, Be a Weirdo! Keep showing others how they can see things a bit differently. 🙂

Good evening everyone! Hopefully you all had a wonderful Samhain, I know I did. It was a little damp here…but all festivities went on, and much Magick was made! 😀

But, that’s not what today is about, is it? It’s about what little nuggets of wisdom I can find and share with you. So let me tell you what I’ve found for today. I came across a quote from the ever-sassy Reba McEntire, and it absolutely resonated with me.

To succeed in life, you need three things:

a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.”

~ Reba McEntire

What makes these three things so important? Well, let’s break them down to see what each represents.

The Wishbone is our Hopes…our Dreams…our Magick!

The Backbone is our Strength…our Fortitude…our Gumption!

The Funny Bone is our Relief Valve…our Amusement…our Joy!

Those are some pretty significant aspects of our lives encompassed in those Three Bones! So, keep dreaming. Stand up for yourself and for what you believe in. Most importantly, remember to not take yourself and life too seriously.

If things are getting you down…take some advice from the Monkees and LAUGH! 😉

As Samhain nears, there are a few themes that tend to recur to us witch type folks again and again: Death, Darkness, & the Unknown. Add the non-witchy folks and we add Fear to this list, as we’re then talking about Halloween, and peeps like to be scared silly for some reason (Yes, I know, a whole heap of witch-type folks are into the Scream Scene too).

Actually, I guess they all get lumped together on a regular basis though, don’t they? When it comes to Death, Darkness, & the Unknown, many of us tend to be fearful. Yet the reason for fearing the Dark and Death IS the Unknown. I was reminded of this as I started a little Harry Potter marathon, and started mulling over all of Dumbledore’s snippets of Wisdom.

Looking back on my own life so far, I can tell you that fear of the Unknown was always huge for me. This included Death. I would have ginormous panic attacks when I was supposed to embark on something new. Even when the something new was something that I had decided to try on my own.

Sometimes though, there was one thing that could manage to get me past the fear…and that was curiosity. If my desire to know the answer to something, or to know what this mystery thing does, or what it would feel like to do “X”, then I could somewhat easily manage to take a deep breath and just get to it. So, why is it that curiosity can so readily dispatch fear? Well, Author Alan Watts kinda nailed it when he said “By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity we open ourselves up to an infinite stream of possibility.”

The possibilities are truly what does the trick! If you can think of, and focus on, even one awesomely terrific possibility…then why shouldn’t you go forth and brave the Unknown? Granted, you may want to be prepared for the journey…such as having a flashlight handy if you plan on exploring in the dark…a little protection for a romantic encounter…or other protective measures should you decide to commune with those residing across the veil, but journey you should. 🙂

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.”

James Stephens

These days I prefer to focus on the possibilities. The fear still whispers in my head every now and then, but I can usually shut it up pretty quick once I think of the good that could come from venturing into the Unknown…embracing the Darkness…and demystifying Death (it is merely another form of Life, after all).

So, if someone asks you “Are you afraid of the dark?”, hopefully you’ll be feeling confident enough to channel your inner Lauren Cooper and respond as such – just because it’s so much more fun that way!

If I lost any of you along the way…or drifted away from my point, please forgive me. we had a kick-ass Blood Moon ritual last night, and I’ve been in a funky head space ever since. It’s a good head space, just a bit loopy and funky. lol 😉